The Girl Who Stayed
by Daughteroflove7491
Summary: A certain character is waiting for something very important...but doesn't get it. Read to find out who it is.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey people! This idea just popped into my head this morning, and so I started to write it. The title may be a bit confusing, but it gets clearer as the story goes on. Happy reading (and reviewing, please!)!**

****Chapter One

The boy filled with dread, his blue eyes having lost all hope. The enchanted balloon still hung in the kitchen, faintly singing "happy birthday". But this was not what the boy had been waiting for all day. He'd been waiting for his Hogwarts letter. He looked at his parents. The boy's mother, who had his eyes, looked down at him, and the sky blue eyes were filled with tears. The boy's father, who had his blond hair, was suddenly crying, and he clutched the boy's mother for support.

"Oh, Gabriel," he cried. He leaned on his wife, who led him into the kitchen. Gabriel fell onto the stairs, which gave a soft poof as his bottom met the carpet. But he hardly noticed this. He was thinking about what could possibly have happened.

July 7th fell in through the family's windows, shining in with the utmost brightness. There could not have been a more perfect day then today to hang out with his friends, thought Gabe, to tell them he had finally gotten his Hogwarts letter. After days of careful planning, Gabe's mother had thrown a party, to end with perfect accordance to when the morning post arrived. Anxiously waiting in the halls of their monstrous yet elegantly beautiful Wiltshire, England home, they stood there for about two minutes, and then the post had arrived. Excited, Gabe had rifled through the pile of junk and birthday wishes, looking for a heavy piece of yellow parchment.

But no piece of yellowing parchment had appeared behind the next letter. It's a big pile, Gabe's mother had said, you'll find it, she said with confidence.

Only to be disappointed two minutes later. No Hogwarts letter had arrived at the house, and Gabe was devastated, not only because he didn't get to go to Hogwarts, but because he had let down his parents. Sure, he had lots of friends, and he fancied a girl named Natasha, also to go to Hogwarts with him, but he also prided himself on having _both _parents. Most had lost one parent to Lord Voldemort's rise to power, though there were some, like Gabe's best friend Nathan, who still had both parents. But Nathan's mother was seriously ill from giving birth, and she was at St. Mungo's. And he only saw her once a month! He told Gabe that Gabe must have been the luckiest man on earth.

But he, unlike Gabe, had recieved a Hogwarts letter, about five months ago in mid-February, when his own birthday was. And now Gabe was going to have to think of what to say to him! What would Nathan say if Gabe told him he was a Squib? Would he laugh, or sympathize? Gabe suspected the latter, but, knowing the rest of his friends, they would all laugh. His perfect little life had been marred by not getting a Hogwarts letter! It was just so bloody unfair, and so awful!

Gabe's father had told him that they had descended from very great wizards, generations of Ravenclaws! Clever, wise and thoughtful, through and through! The thought of being a Squib had never struck Gabe or his father! Their family had been wizards for ages. No Squibs had ever been produced in their family, not once!

But now the full on future of being a Squib fell squarely on Gabriel's shoulders. What would happen now, now that he knew he was a Squib? Would his parents send him to one of those Muggle schools, or would they keep him close? Even if Gabe lied to his friends about getting a letter, they would surely find out in a few month's time, and that was if Gabe was lucky! They would surely notice that Gabe had no extraordinary magical powers. Or at least Nathan would. Nathan's family, too, had come from generations of Ravenclaws on his mother's side, and his father was from Gryffindor, the very best House of all!

Gabe wasn't aware that his feet were moving until he was up the stairs and going to his room. He pulled out his favorite quill, grabbed a piece of parchment, and started to write to Nathan.

_Dear Nathan,_

_ How are you? Thanks for the birthday card, it was really funny. Did your sister do it? I know she's just graduated from Hogwarts._

_ Speaking of Hogwarts, I wanted to talk to you about that. It's my birthday, and I didn't get one. Me and my parents suspect I'm a Squib. Please don't make fun of me. I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone, except perhaps Natasha, about this, but would you tell them I'm sick and not allowed out of the house? It would really mean a lot to me of you did. Since we won't be seeing each other very often now, this will be the last favor I ask of you. _

_ Your friend,_

_ Gabe_

Gabe rolled up the parchment and gave it to the family owl, Moon. She ruffled her bright white feathers and flew out into the July air. Then he sat on his bed. He started to write feverishly to his older sister, Adala about the happening. She was currently in France with a bunch of her mates from Hogwarts. Gabe loved her dearly, and she's been in the same year as Nathan's older sister.

He waited for Moon to come back; Nathan's house wasn't far from here. Then he let her rest for a while, and tied the piece of parchment to her leg and sent her off to France to find his sister.

Before he knew it, he was dozing off. He dreamed something very strange, but when he woke up, he didn't remember anything of what had happened. He fell back asleep, and dreamed that he was at a party.

Natasha was there, too, and they wandered into a strangely dark room, where they proceeded to talk about boys and girls going out. Natasha had said it was her first time on a date, even though they weren't technically speaking on a date. Then she leaned in and was about to kiss him when he jerked awake, feeling elated. Then he realized they hadn't kissed.

He had a leaping feeling in his chest, then a sinking one. His heart slowing down from the fifty-meter dash it had been running, he noticed a small bit of parchment on his cluttered desk. About to open it, excited at this piece of post, his father interrupted.

"Gabriel Argus Filch! Come down here please!" he called. Gabe winced as his father said his middle name, Argus, for he hated it. But nevertheless, Gabriel Argus Filch slumped slowly out of his room, dreading about what would happen downstairs.

**A/N: Who liked it? Who didn't? Review anyways, please! Love, Ginny!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This chapter is really short, and kind of confusing, but I don't really have good ideas. if you have an idea after you read this chapter, please tell me in a review, and you'll be mentioned (as your penname) in the next chapter for this idea, and you'll be formally awesome. Thank you!**

Chapter Two (Thirty years later)

The girl was walking on the street, quite aimlessly. She did, however, have a particular destination in mind. She didn't want the _other_ ones to see her, though. She continued to walk in an aimless manner, though steadily across the street.

The ring on her left ring-finger glinted in the sun, but her lover was dead, and now she sought someone else. The house loomed in her weak eyes, and she could barely see the top of it. She hobbled across the deserted street that cars rarely visited, and threw herself upon the stairs. It was August 4, and she knew she had time.

She knocked on the door, and it swung open at once. A tall, handsome man with blond hair and blue eyes greeted her, and asked who she was.

"Natasha," she said in barely more than a whisper. The man had to bend over to hear the uttered words. He looked behind himself and behind the girl, then took her cold, clammy hand and dragged her inside.

The next thing the girl remembered, she was in a bed, and she felt very sick. Why was she here, when she should be with Simon? She broke down into tears, remembering his fate. The man heard her, and ran as fast as he could to her at once.

Brokenhearted, she was sobbing into the blanket. He put an arm around her and a shiver went through her. She cuddled with him and fell asleep against him. When she slid off of him, he saw the wand poking out of her pocket. He drew it, and felt it.

It was elegant, yet simple, and it was a rather good length for the girl and himself. But he could not produce magic. He'd been living in this house since he was born, and now, with his parents long gone and his sister living abroad as a widow, he took care of it.

Still a handsome young man with the attractive blue eyes and blond hair, the girl was attracted to him, and had fallen in love with him. But her parents went to great lengths to tell her not to ever marry a filthy Squib like him. When they were still alive and snooping, they watched her ever so closely. She grew close to Simon, but told him of her plan to rid her of her guardians, and he agreed, for he loved her.

Now he was dead, and she still loved the boy whom she loved when she was younger. When the girl woke up, she saw him cradling her wand, but did not immediately snatch it from his hands. She let him caress it, then gently tugged it from his hands.

When she spoke, her voice was very hoarse, though not quite as bad as when she came to his home. "I have an idea." she whispered. The man leaned in.

"What is it, my love?" she shook her head, and then started to cry. The man hugged her tightly.

"I'm no longer Natasha Germen. My name is Natasha Norris." the man nodded.

"Simon Norris? Isn't he…" he said, and Natasha nodded. "First, you have to get your strength back." he said.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Natasha became stronger under Gabriel's care, and they prepared for the ultimate plan to be together forever. When Natasha became the girl who she was when she was younger, with long, straight, shiny black hair and warm hazel eyes, she and Gabriel were ready for it. Holding hands, Natasha Apparated them to the Ministry.

When it was over, they went to Hogwarts, but before entering, Natasha put the spell upon herself, and then they entered Hogwarts.

They sought out a teacher, preferably Professor Dumbledore. When they found him, he raised his eyebrows.

"And who might you be?" he said cautiously.

Gabriel raised his hands in surrender as he had seen Muggles do in Muggle movies. "I'm Gabriel Filch, and I've come to apply for a job. Caretaker." he said. Dumbledore nodded, and beckoned to them to follow him.

"We've been looking for a caretaker for ages. No one has applied." he said, waving his wand when they reached his office, and papers flew askew. He bent down over a long list.

"Headmaster," said Gabriel, leaning in. "I have a plan," and he told the old man of his and Natasha's plan. Dumbledore stiffened.

"Very well," he said stiffly. He raised his wand, and performed the charm. Gabe's hair changed length and color, and he grew in age, bending over slightly.

When it was done, he said to the Headmaster, "And now, I'd like to be called Argus. Argus Filch." he said, with a cat at his side, and the Headmaster did not know that the cat was the girl he loved. Natasha Norris. The cat.

* * *

When they saw the office and barracks, Argus nearly screamed for joy. "It's perfect, isn't it, Natasha?" he said to the witch who had sprung up exactly where the cat had stood moments ago. Even transformed into an ugly old man, she loved him, and they embraced. Natasha nodded, and they kissed. Finally, a place to call home with the man she truly loved. But she had to live as a cat to live with him. It would be awful if the students found out about her, or even the Headmaster. She'd have to live as a cat for the rest of her life.

As long as she loved him, they could be starving, they could be homeless, they could be broke. As long as she loved him, he'd be her platinum, he'd be her silver, he'd be her gold. As long they loved each other.

**Please leave me an idea (and a review)! Heart, Ginny!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I know it's been a *gulp* ****_very _****long time since I've updated anything, and it's break, but I've been reading other fanfics because they're all really good1 I think I may have had just a touch of Writer's Strike, but I'm all cured and healed, so it's good, and I'll try to update more often now. So sorry, guys! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, because I am not the greatest witch of the age, J.K. Rowling. Nevertheless, please read and review! **

"Welcome, welcome, to another year at Hogwarts!" beamed Dumbledore at the students. He could tell that their attention was not focused on him, though, and he struggled to keep it for a moment longer.

"I am pleased to introduce our new caretaker, Mr. Argus Filch." he indicated the caretaker, who glared down at the students. The students, especially the Gryffindors, stared down confidently at him, but he held his ground. Then the Headmaster cleared his throat.

"Anyways, Mr. Filch has reminded me that no magic shall be used in the corridors. The Forbidden Forest is strictly forbidden to all students, and a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Any student wishing to submit his or her name to the list, please contact Madam Hooch.

"And now, we're off to bed, pip pip!" said Dumbledore, and the students all got up and started to drag off to their dormitories.

* * *

Gabriel heard them as they walked on past. Nasty comments they made.

"...he's really ugly, don't you think?"

"...did you see his cat?"

"I know, Mary, it's really weird…"

"I now have the sudden urge to go and kick that disgusting thing…" All this talk made Gabriel want to go and tell Professor Dumbledore he was resigning. But Hogwarts was a safe place from the war, and from Voldemort. He didn't want his beloved Natasha to get hurt, and he had taken careful precautions to protect her, and he wasn't about to give it all away cold turkey...no, he must think...and endure all…

When he and Natasha got back to the office, Natasha was frowning. She'd changed back into human form.

"What are you thinking, my love?" she said, and Gabriel looked at her.

"Did you hear what they were saying back there about you and I?" he said indignantly. Natasha nodded sadly.

"I'm afraid, my love, that we'll have to endure it a little bit more, but we can survive it, I'm sure, my love. Do not lose faith, my beloved Gabriel." she stroked his cheek with her hand. No matter how aged he was, she loved him. She changed form back into a cat, and slept in her little cat bed she'd conjured for herself.

* * *

The next day was absolute torture. Some annoying little first years named James, Sirius, Remus and Peter had set off Dungbombs in a crowded corridor, leaving some paintings slightly burned. Gabriel shooed them off, and Natasha hissed at them. They swaggered off, laughing.

"It's all right, Gabriel, my love, just ignore them," he knew Natasha'd say if she was able to. So he gritted his teeth and looked up a cure for the burned portraits and paintings.

Soon after that fiasco, two sixth years were found vandalizing school property. Gabriel sent them to the Headmaster's office while he was left to clean up the mess. After he was finished, he heard a loud bellow of insulting words. Rushing to find out what it was, he found he didn't have to go very far.

In the Charms classroom, there was a sort of spirit hanging over the blackboard writing rude words with a piece of chalk, bellowing them as he wrote.

"And who might you be?" said Gabriel in his wheezing voice. The spirit turned, and swooped down upon Gabriel.

"Ooooh, a new friend! Well sir, I'm known as Peeves the Poltergeist. Are you the new Caretaker?" said the thing, peering at Gabriel. And, to Gabriel's surprise, he exclaimed, "And who is that lovely Animagus standing beside you? Yes, yes, I know when a witch or a wizard is an Animagus." Gabriel was scared, and about to send a mental message to warn Natasha not to transform, when she transformed.

"You see, Mr. Caretaker! I know everything!" exclaimed Peeves.

"Peeves, you have to-"

"Have to! Have to what? Madam, I've never been ordered to do something before!"

"Peeves shutup!"

"'Peeves shutup!'"

"Peeves, I swear-"

"'Peeves, I swear-'"

"Peeves, you mustn't tell anyone you know about this. About me and Gabriel!" Natasha clapped a hand to her mouth. Then she shrunk back into a cat.

"Who's Gabriel, Madame? I thought this filth was named Argus?" said Peeves in an awful cackling voice. Gabriel cracked his knuckles.

"Peeves, if you tell anyone, I swear,-" Gabriel stopped short. He stared at Peeves, and Peeves looked solemn.

"Mr. Gabriel Argus Filch, I swear not to tell anyone about you and the lovely Madame." he said. Gabriel smiled.

"Oh, anyone is going to be so mad I can't tell him…" Peeves cackled. Gabriel ran after him, like a madman.

"Peeves, who the hell are you going to tell? Peeves, you better get the *censored* down here right now!" barked Gabriel. Gabriel's heart sank. Their secret might have been ruined. And it may have been Natasha's fault.

**Hahaha! Suspense! Or not...does Peeves really tell the whole school about Gabriel (Argus) and Natasha's secret? Wait...wait just wait, my young grasshoppers, and find out. Scroll down and review in the meanwhile, pretty pretty please! Also, check out XxTheSistersxX's first story! It's awesome, if I do say so myself. But seriously, guys, review first.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hi hi hi hi! Since I love you all, my lovely readers, I've been working long and hard on every story to update in one big fanfiction party! Enjoy reading!**

Natasha's P.O.V.

She was walking up and down the corridor, looking for trouble in case anyone decided to make trouble by the library. She stuck her tail high in the air as some students passed and hissed at them. They ignored her. Her eyes, yellow and alert, paced the corridor for hours as she resigned to one gloomy place in the shadows.

It was about two minutes to curfew when Natasha decided she'd stretch her legs in human form. She transformed, and yawned. She looked around herself, and sat down in a place near the shadows.

She stretched her arms. Then she heard a shrill creak as the door of the library squeaked open. She flicked her wand towards it, silencing the door as it swung on its hinges. Too late, she realized it was opening because a student was coming out of it. But the girl had already stumbled out, looking thoroughly tired with dark shadows under her eyes. It was a girl with a curtain of thick, dark red hair that fell to her shoulders and electric green eyes. She was a first year, clearly, because she was still quite small.

The girl's eyes widened when she saw Natasha stumbling back, her wand clutched in her hand. Natasha tried to point her wand to herself, to transform, but the girl would remember her and recognize her as "the filth of Filch" as students commonly called her. Struggling. She pointed the wand at the girl, and, lost for words, tried to remember the incantation for a memory charm to wipe clean the girl's memory, but she couldn't quite put her mind to it.

"You-who are you-?" she coughed, trying to catch her breath. The girl simply stared at her before responding. She swallowed thickly and for quite a long time, and looked down at her feet.

"My name is Lily Evans," she said quietly as Natasha got to her feet.

"Sorry?" she said, brushing off her robes.

"Lily Evans, I'm a first year Gryffindor." said Lily Evans.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Lily Evans." said Natasha.

"Who are you?" said Lily with more curiosity than suspicion. Natasha was relieved.

"It's going to take a long time to explain." said Natasha. "Come, I'll take you to the kitchens, and we can have a little chat." Natasha led her to a corridor where she knew all the Hufflepuffs went to their common room. She stopped in front of a picture of a large fruit bowl and started to tickle the bright green pear. She thought it looked extraordinarily like Lily's eye color. The pear chuckled, giggled, then suddenly turned into a door handle. Natasha seized it and pulled on the heavy door.

It was a large and steamy place, but Natasha knew she was welcome. The elves were always pleased to see her. They came to her with a tray of tea, sugar, milk and biscuits with two small teacups. Natasha beamed at them as they pulled up some comfy chairs.

"Thank you very much, my dear friends," she said.

"Your welcome, Miss Natasha, we is happy to help you," they all said cheerily.

Natasha poured Lily and herself some tea, and smiled at Lily warmly, because she could tell Lily was a bit edgy around her. Nonetheless, she accepted the tea with thanks.

Natasha took a deep breath. "First, my dear, you must not tell anyone when I tell you who I am, who my partner is." Lily nodded. "My name is Natasha Filch, or Natasha Norris, or you may know me as Natasha Norris." Lily gasped. "Well, a long time ago, Mr. Filch, the caretaker, used to live in a big fancy house with big, fancy people. He was rich, yet a kind and compassionate little boy. I loved him. I loved him with all my heart and all my soul. I had not known love like this. Never in my life. As we grew older, closer to Hogwarts age, we grew excited. Of course, I had my friends, he had his. I pretended not to notice him, and I daresay it made him grow quite crazy for me.

"Then on his eleventh birthday, it all went downhill. He had never produced a sign of magical powers in his life, but he was nevertheless hopeful the Hogwarts letter would come to him. It never came. He was heartbroken. When I came to Hogwarts, I was Sorted into Ravenclaw, the same as my future husband Simon Norris." Natasha smiled as Lily gasped in recognition. "Yes, indeed. We drew closer, but I never really loved him as I did Gabriel Argus Filch-the caretaker uses his middle name now, I only use his real name, Gabriel, of course-and of course, he loved me. My parents had advised me never to marry a Squib nor a Muggle-born nor a Muggle. Yes, they wanted someone with at least one drop of _magical _blood, so I made a nice marriage to Simon Norris.

"We formulated a plan to rid myself of my parents, I will not waste time in feeling you the plan, but we succeeded. However, the effort killed him, and it drove me to depression.

"I was quite...beside myself. I suppose something inside me broke, but my love for Gabriel stopped me from losing the will to live. I stumbled my way to his house, and he nursed me back to health. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him, but with safety and without fear. We knew that Hogwarts was the only place that was safe in the Wizarding world. However, it would be bad if I was noticed by anyone, so I decided to become an Animagus. Quite an ugly cat I am, I suppose." said Natasha, and tears were sliding down her face, she sniffed and wiped her tears on her robes. Lily went pale.

"Oh, no, I think you're quite beautiful," she whispered. Natasha smiled blandly at her, and continued.

"We went to the Ministry of Magic, where I had assumed a position in the Office for the Control of Magical Animals, where the office for Animagi was, so I got a license easily as a cat. We had already packed our bags and we Apparated to Hogwarts. Gabriel had applied several weeks earlier to be the caretaker, as they had an opening. He begged for the job, and we got it. Peeves found out a few weeks ago our secret, because he could tell I was an Animagus.

"I suppose you're going to tell all your little friends, now, I guess," said Natasha sadly.

Lily stared at her, looking horrified. "I would never tell anyone your secret. Never, Mrs. Norris." Natasha admired the girl.

"Need help getting your work back to Gryffindor tower?" she said, and Lily smiled as Natasha heaved a bag off the ground to help her new friend, as long as Lily promised never to tell a single soul.

**A/N: How was it? Extra long chapter for you since you're all so amazing. Now, REVIEW! Because it's right there**

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